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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 13, 2018

Karolina Pliskova

Indian Wells, California

K. PLISKOVA/A. Anisimova

6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just curious, we have seen a lot of players come and go, young prospects. What did she show you out there today? What did you think of her game?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Of her game? Oh, she played well. Maybe a little bit nervous first set, or I was playing a little bit faster, so she didn't have the time to play her game.

And then, well, obviously she's 16, so she's not scared. You can see she's hitting the ball without, I think, thinking. But everybody is playing like this when they are 16. I think this will change a little bit in the future, but for sure the game is good and not really any weakness. The serve is okay. I think everything pretty solid.

She can for sure play well, but there are so many things which can change in future, so tough to say now.

Q. What do you think you did well in terms of just staying on top of her and not letting her get on that roll?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Aggressive. I think I started well, so that's why it went like this. And I had obviously set and break. She played kind of well the game. I didn't really serve well, so we didn't have any points from the first serve.

But over, I think, my game, match from match, is improving here. So I feel much better than in the first and also second round or second match. So just happy it's going a little bit more up.

I think still I can serve a little bit better. I know I'm able to serve better, more aces. Maybe more first serves. No double faults, obviously.

Yeah, overall just kind of happy with this way, how I played pretty solid.

Q. Do you feel match by match your level is improving as you're going through the tournament?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yes. And I feel like -- well, this is probably every player with match by match you improve, because you are playing some matches. You're, like, practicing a lot. Because I had always days off after playing matches.

So it's normal you feel better after hitting so many balls already here in Indian Wells, but also I played tough matches here, so some tiebreaks, one three-setter before yesterday. So it always gives you some confidence when you go through those tough moments.

Q. You said too that you never can tell with the players that age. Do you think it's partly because people figure out their games as they go forward? They're no longer an unknown commodity? People know how to play against them tactically or is it more having to play with the pressure?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: What is the question? You're asking me about her?

Q. Yeah, or that kind of player, that kind of age when they go forward.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think for sure. Look, she has a big game, which you can see. She has the strikes, so she can hit pretty fast shots.

Like I said, when you play without any pressure, you don't think. So you just play shots which you would not play. Maybe you could see the tiebreak, she was a little bit shaky, which is normal. She's 16, so she doesn't much matches.

But she won three matches here, so I think nobody was expecting her to win this one. Maybe she thought she has a chance, but no (smiling).

I'm not scared from those young girls, because I know my game. I know I can be solid. So there is nothing what can surprise me. I was ready. I didn't want to, you know, think that it's gonna be easy because she's 16. She had that confidence after those matches what she was playing here. She was playing the tournament here, and she won juniors, whatever.

So I know how this feels. I have been in that situation before. So I was ready for this game.

Q. But is part of the challenge going forward in the coming years that people will know her game, understand where her weaknesses are and be able to exploit them?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Yeah, for sure. I had similar thing, so I feel like the players are reading my serve better now. So by being there couple of years, I think the people get to know you, you know, know your game and what you play better, where you feel better, where you feel worse.

So I just -- you know, nobody knows her right now. I think that's why she was dangerous for the other players.

Q. Do you feel the players are reading your serve better now? If so, what do you do to kind of adjust that?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I feel a little bit. Also, well, this kind of -- the conditions here -- I think it's pretty fast, but it's also like the surface is not that fast. So if you can read just a little bit the game, you're going to get the shots and you can still play it. It's not like it's going to slip and without the chance to play the ball.

I feel like -- obviously also it's tough to say, because I feel like there is plenty of girls playing the defending style, like maybe Simona or Svitolina, so they are standing pretty back for the returns, so that's why they receive my serve better than the others.

I feel like they are more ready on my serve right now than before two years. Also, maybe I'm not serving the best right now (smiling). So I think a little bit of both.

Q. Do you then make adjustments or do you, like, have to adjust the toss or patterns?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I have been trying to have just one toss. Not always it's like this. Yeah, but I have been trying just to not give them, you know, that they can see where I toss. I'm just trying to change, mix it up also the speed, not only the placement.

Yeah, I have been having, I think, quite a lot of points for first serves here, some aces as always. But I think I was serving better at some matches, tournaments, but it's not bad. I'm winning most of my serves, which is good. So I just lost couple, today just one, so I think it's okay.

Q. Could I ask about Fed Cup? Such a big thing in Czech. Just talk about change.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Not for me.

Q. Going to 16 teams. What's your sense of what they should do? What are you hoping they do with it?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Look, for me, Fed Cup, it's a little bit strange competition because we always play in Czech. But I think nobody else is playing that much from the other countries.

So it's strange, because not always you have the best players in there, because obviously with the schedule it's tough to play every match.

I also was not playing last year, so it's just -- you know, I think it's not really fair that you are to say Czech Republic is the best in the world, because there is not always playing all the best players in the world. But, yeah, we were just winning. And anyway, we have still strong team, so I think we can be, like, really best in the world.

But with being more matches there, just more tough for the schedule. So I don't know if it's right. I don't know if the players' going to play more. I think they're going to play less. To have four weeks there, it's just more tough.

Q. Do you like the idea they are proposing for Davis Cup, one week, a lot of teams, end of the year. If they could do that for the women, do you think that's a good idea?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: In the same week?

Q. Yeah, all one week. There's talk about that down the road perhaps happening.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, for sure, it would be interesting to play the same place as Davis Cup if that's the idea with the people coming. Obviously when the guys are there, there is more fans coming.

But otherwise, I think they have different schedule, so it's tough. For us, it would be so much longer, the season. So I don't think it's clever, but whatever they do I think we have to accept.

But, yeah, like I said, there is, I think, two more because we were already thinking about it, last year was half/half, just to make this happen. So I think for women's it's not the best with the schedule.

Q. Speaking of Fed Cup, it does seem that the best players could potentially play this next tie that you guys have with Germany in Stuttgart. I think the Germans are planning to fill the full team. Are you planning to be called upon in that one? Stuttgart?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: I think this one is a little bit different, because there is a tournament after. So I think everybody wants to play because you get used to the conditions there. And that's clay, so you have some extra practices, extra matches.

So this one could be good for everybody who's going to play, so that's why it's going to be that strong. Not always is the case like this, because can you travel -- I don't know, last year it was, we had to travel to America -- not me, but the others. So that's kind of tough sometimes.

But this time I think it could be pretty helpful for all of us just to have some matches and then to stay for tournament. Yeah, I think this could be a good week.

Q. Is it more motivating when you have -- like you were saying you would maybe want to see the top players play more because then it elevates, I guess, the meaning of the winning it. This upcoming tie, does it mean more to you because there might be Kerber there or there might be Goerges there?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Well, to be honest, I care more about the tournament in Stuttgart than about this week of Fed Cup. Still, it's a nice feeling when you win those matches in Fed Cup. Doesn't matter who you play, because obviously with the support what we have, everybody what has in the Fed Cup, it's just different in tournaments.

But there is more people being happy if you win those matches, like, by the team having behind us, and also so many from Czech Republic coming, people to support, so I think it's different. And for sure it would be just nice if we can get the wins, because we know that Germany now is pretty strong and they going to play probably with the best players.

So it would be nice to get the win.

Q. Back to this tournament, you can play either Osaka or Sakkari next. What are your thoughts on both of those opponents?
KAROLINA PLISKOVA: Sakkari, I have no idea about her. I didn't play, didn't practice with her. I just didn't see her much. But for sure I will be ready. So is the same with this Anisimova. So I will just get ready.

Most of the time it's about me, but it's always good to know a little bit about the opponent.

And about Osaka, we played once in Toronto. So not that far ago.

I think she has a big game, for sure, big forehand, big serve. It would be tough to play her. I think more tough than Sakkari, but I don't know Sakkari. But for sure she won pretty good matches here, playing good players, so she would be confident as well.

Look, everybody won a few matches now, so I think there is not going to be a bad match anymore in this tournament.

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